There is no easy way back for Liverpool and it was a sobering summer before Manchester United out-spent Brendan Rodgers's transfer budget on Robin van Persie. In that respect at least, the new man in charge is an appropriate fit.

"I was never a big player, never had the protection that being a big player gives you in this game," the 39-year-old said ahead of his Premier League bow as Liverpool manager. "Everything in life over the last 20 years I have had to earn, I have had to gain respect, and it's no different for me here. These are educated supporters who I'm sure are wondering how it is all going to work out." Liverpool have had two competitive games under Rodgers so far, two victories over FC Gomel in the Europa League qualifiers, but the evaluation begins at West Bromwich Albion on Saturday.

The words "progress" and "challenge" littered Rodgers's press conference before the encounter with Steve Clarke, the new manager at the Hawthorns who, as the Chelsea youth coach, vouched for the Northern Irishman's work with Reading's youngsters to José Mourinho in 2004. Clarke may have helped Rodgers along a sometimes difficult path to Anfield via Watford, Reading and Swansea City but, though he talks of Liverpool as "a destination" for a manager, he appreciates the task ahead.

Before accepting the job of succeeding Kenny Dalglish, Rodgers knew he would have a budget of around £20m plus money raised from sales to improve a team that was better than its eighth-placed finish last season, but was eighth nonetheless.

Hence the willingness to consider "a ridiculous offer" for Daniel Agger and the desire to sell Andy Carroll and Charlie Adam, having reduced the wage bill and spent the budget on Fabio Borini, Joe Allen and Oussama Assaidi. Currently it is the loan market that offers further reinforcement and it would be an important coup, and demonstration of Rodgers's astute use of contacts, should he secure Nuri Sahin from Real Madrid and/or Cristian Tello from Barcelona amid competition from clubs offering Champions League football.

"I believe we are equipped [to meet expectations]," he says. "There is a good group of players here. Next year will be better than this, when we have had time to work, maybe get the type of players I'd want. But at the minute I have very good players, good guys, whose intentions are right. They want to work hard and work well and embrace the ideas. It's a case of growing and improving the focus and fighting to win. I'm happy with what we have got.

"As a manager you will always be looking to evolve, there will never be a time when you have total happiness because of the type I am, you always strive to improve and become better. It is important for me that I'm allergic to complacency, so for me I will never be content – but at the moment we are where we are, which is a terrific bunch of guys who want to work well. In the short period I have been here I have seen their desire to fight to defend this great club."

The early signs are indeed encouraging. In the first leg of the Europa League third qualifying round Rodgers watched aghast as FC Gomel failed to take one of 18 shots on Brad Jones's goal and Liverpool's players appeared at odds with his high-intensity, passing game. A week on, with Luis Suárez available and showing an immediate rapport with Borini, and players more in tune with the manager's methods, they strolled to victory in the second leg and restricted the Belarusians to one shot at José Reina. Clarke and Kevin Keen, the former Liverpool coach who has accompanied the Scot to Albion, were animated as they detailed the movement of Rodgers's front three.

"I'm quite relaxed [about proving myself] to be honest," the Liverpool manager added. "The supporters have been brilliant to me, I've been given a brilliant welcome. Like I say, as a manager and a coach, you have to earn respect. This is a club that was at the leading edge of the game for many years. As a club it is an iconic one, you can never take that away. History has to be remembered and respected and that's what I will always do. But we have to create new memories, new history. I will always respect the past and have as much knowledge as you can possibly get, but we must use it to create our own."